Read Online A Brother's Honor by Brenda Jackson - Free Book Online Page B

looked out. “And I wish you’d stop insinuating that she is.”
    Dalton, who was leaning back lazily in one of the conference room chairs, shrugged broad shoulders. “You and Shiloh were close growing up.”
    Caden turned around. “Yes, and if you recall, that was before...” He paused, knowing he didn’t have to go into any details. Dalton knew. Each of them had felt the pain of suddenly being ostracized by their friends.
    “She was just a kid, Caden. A kid who had to do what she was told. Can you imagine her going against old man Timmons? If you remember, the man was an asshole.”
    Caden did remember, but there was more to his and Shiloh’s history than Dalton knew. More than anyone knew. And he wasn’t about to enlighten his brother about anything now.
    Jace entered the conference room. “I just talked to Vidal. He’ll make sure the transition is done as smoothly as possible. Everything is set.”
    “Set how?” Dalton wanted to know. He had several million dollars in Granger shares, and he intended to get a return on his investment. Stuart would have a cow when he heard about what he had done. The first rule when investing is to make sure you don’t lose money. That meant he needed to stay on top of things so that rule was not broken.
    “Freeman and I have reached an understanding,” Jace said easily.
    Dalton sneered. “Understanding, my ass. I don’t trust him.”
    “Neither do I,” Caden said, leaning against the wall. “Hell, Jace, the man was trying to take the company right from under our noses.”
    “He didn’t think we were ready to take over things,” Jace said somberly.
    “Can’t blame him, since I thought the same thing myself,” Dalton said. “But I still don’t like what he tried to pull. So now that we’re in, are you going to give Ms. Bradford a call?”
    Jace pulled the business card Vidal had given him from his pocket. “I might as well. Vidal showed me a number of profit and loss statements, and this company is so deep in the red it’s not funny.”
    That’s not what Dalton wanted to hear. “But it can be turned around?”
    Jace heard the concern in his brother’s voice. “You’ll get a return on your investment.”
    A hopeful look appeared in Dalton’s eyes. “Promise?”
    Jace held his brother’s gaze. “You know I don’t make promises, Dalton.”
    How could I forget? Dalton thought. The last time he had asked Jace to make a promise had been during their father’s trial. He wanted Jace to promise him that their father would not have to serve time, and that he would be back home with them when the trial ended. They’d already lost their mother, and the thought of losing a father had been unbearable to Dalton. Jace had refused him that promise, and Dalton was glad he had. It would have been a promise that was broken.
    “Yes, I know,” Dalton said. “I forgot. I usually don’t get out of bed before noon, and my brain was not functioning so well this morning.”
    “But I see your eyeballs are,” Jace said. “When you were checking out that receptionist this morning, I could swear you had X-ray vision.”
    Dalton chuckled as he loosened his tie a bit. “Wish I had. Damn, she looks good. I want her for my office assistant.”
    “If you do get an office assistant, I’m going to make sure she is not on the list.” Jace eased down to sit on the edge of the table. “Speaking of your own offices, they’ll be ready for you to move in before the end of the day.”
    “I only want an office if I get to pick my office assistant, and I want her on the list, Jace,” Dalton said, grinning. “And I don’t want my office next to Caden’s unless it’s soundproof. You know how he has a tendency to play his sax at odd times.”
    Dalton had expected Caden to come back with some ear-blistering retort, and when he didn’t, Dalton turned to gaze over at his brother. Jace looked over at Caden, as well. Caden had gone back to staring out the window, dismissing their